My Great Outdoors: Katie's Fresh Back Door Garden

Name: Katie of goodLife {eats}Location: Rio Rancho, New MexicoType of space: Backyard GardenTell us about your outdoor project and how you enjoy it: I do so much cooking and love fresh veggies that we thought a garden project would be a great idea this year. We've had a fantastic time putting it together and tending it. I'm anxiously waiting to indulge in the fruits of our labor. We've planted asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, green onions, sugar snap peas, lettuce seeds, basil, tarragon, dill, cilantro, parsley, blueberries, tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, jalapeno...I think that's it! I've harvested at least 60 sugar snap peas already and am enjoying having a great selection of fresh herbs just outside my back door.

How did you create it? We first had to clear away what seemed to be at least a ton of rocks on the side of our house. We had the gate moved to the edge of the wall to create a nice, large approx. 10x25 space. Our desert "soil" (if you can call it that) is quite sandy, so per the greenhouse's recommendation we worked about 12 bags of organic compost into our nutrient void sandy soil. I think we could have added at least 10 more. Probably next year! Our four-year old has had a magical time working in his way – planting seeds, learning names of new vegetables, shopping for plants, watering and dumping or daily collection into our DIY compost bin.

Recommended store, site, product or resource? I bought my plants and seeds at a variety of places: Alameda Greenhouse, Lowes, Target, and Home Depot. For those local to the Albuquerque, Corrales, Rio Rancho area in New Mexico - Alameda Greenhouse is very helpful and has a large selection.